Ancient Science. The seeds of modern science are evident in the scholarly pursuits of ancient Mesopotamia; however, what modern people think of as "science" was not a concept that the Mesopotamians would have understood. They observed the physical and material world about them and kept records of natural phenomena. They systematically organized their knowledge, compiled compendia of facts by topic, and made inventories of these collections. They thought of themselves as learned experts in one or more disciplines, and they perceived their function as descriptive and interpretive. Yet, they had no interest in experimentation or in stating and testing hypotheses. Their approach was empirical rather than theoretical.

Modern Science. Modern scholars must be careful to distinguish between the exact sciences and the ancients' investigations of the natural world. Looking at the night sky does not fall into the realm of "astronomy." Only after regular observation of the sun...